Royal Az - Jennifer Lopez Talks 'Up and Down' Relationship Journey: 'It Was About Me Figuring Out Me' ====================================== Jennifer Lopez and boyfriend Alex Rodriguez might consistently prove time and again that they’re the definition of couple goals, but Lopez’s love life hasn’t always been quite this smooth sailing. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar for their February cover — which PEOPLE can exclusively reveal — the Second Act star reflects on reaching a point now where she’s in a happy and successful relationship. Get push notifications with news, features and more. Follow Following You'll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications. “For me, the relationship journey has been very up and down,” Lopez, 49, said. She has been married three times, most recently with Marc Anthony, with whom she shares 10-year-old twins, Emme and Max. “But it didn’t have to do with anybody else but me — it was about me figuring out me,” she continued. “Until you learn to love yourself, you can’t completely love [someone else] in a way that is pure and true. Once you do that, you can have relationships that are based on love and respect, that are supportive and nourishing. There’s an evolution there that had to happen for me. I feel like I’m in a better place now.” Lopez — who also went through high-profile break-ups from Sean “Diddy” Combs, Ben Affleck and Casper Smart from the late 1990s to early 2000s — met former MLB star Rodriguez, 43, in 2017. While the pair’s blended family holidays and extravagant vacations have been well-documented, Lopez said living life in the public eye isn’t always easy. “You’re trying to do your best and people are putting you down, or trying to make believe you’re not a nice person, or you’re a diva,” she explained. “I’m always like, ‘Who are you talking about?'” From early on in her career, Lopez said she felt “confined” as people wanted to put her “in a box.” As someone who has taken on the roles of singer, actress, dancer and designer throughout the years, Lopez said she’s proud of her long-standing and versatile career in Hollywood. “I feel very proud that I’ve survived as long as I have in this business,” Lopez said. “At this point in my life, I’m trying to give myself more credit. It’s hard when people are always telling you that you’re not good at things or saying, ‘Why is she successful?’ You get a lot of that when you’re a successful woman. You don’t get that as much when you’re a man. The thing about people, women especially, is that you can have 12 people telling you you’re amazing, but that one person kind of putting you down, that’s the voice that sticks in your head… Then finally you go, ‘Wait, I’m not lying. I’ve been doing this a long time. This is not a mistake. I worked hard to be here.’ And you know what? Congratulations to myself. Not in an arrogant way, by any means. It’s like, ‘You’re doing good, baby. Give yourself a break.’” Lopez said that while she does gets tired a lot, she never thinks, “I don’t want to do this.” “I really feel like I have a lot left that I want to do,” s